What Size Vivarium Does a Corn Snake Need?

What Size Vivarium Does a Corn Snake NeedBefore you buy a new vivarium for your corn snake, it’s important to research what size vivarium it needs. Too small a vivarium can limit your corn snake’s movement, while too large an enclosure can make it feel stressed. Follow our guidelines to make sure you choose the right size tank for your corn snake.

What size tank does a corn snake need?

Corn snakes need a medium-sized enclosure. As a rule of thumb, these guidelines should help you figure out what size tank your corn snake needs.

Height: The height of your tank should be one third of your snake’s length.

Floor space: There should be one square foot of floor space for every foot of snake.

What about baby corn snakes?

Corn snake hatchlings should be housed in a small tank until they get bigger. Remember that corn snakes can get stressed out by too much space. Start off with a small vivarium and move them to a bigger one once they’ve grown.

Tips for choosing the right size corn snake vivarium

A large enclosure is not essential

Corn snakes aren’t very active reptiles, so they don’t need a large enclosure. In fact, they can get stressed in a tank that’s too big for them.

Your corn snake will be fine in a medium-sized tank, making it the perfect pet for people with limited space for a reptile tank.

Research how big your corn snake will grow

Before you buy a vivarium, you need to know how big your corn snake will grow. After all, you don’t want to buy a new tank only to have to replace it further down the line when your snake has grown out of it.

The length of a corn snake varies from 2 ½ – 5 feet. Males tend to be longer than females, so this is also something to take into account when buying a vivarium. Hatchlings tend to be 8-12 inches long and it generally takes them two years to reach their full length.

 

Don’t keep two corn snakes in the same vivarium

It’s not recommended to house two corn snakes in the same tank. As well as the issue of space, keeping two corn snakes in the same vivarium can lead to a number of problems, including:

  • Cannibalism (the bigger snake may eat the smaller snake)
  • Early or unexpected breeding
  • Spread of disease
  • Stress

 

If you do decide to keep two corn snakes in the same enclosure, make sure they’re both a similar size so one is not a threat to the other and make sure you choose a slightly larger vivarium that has enough space for extra hideouts.

THE NEXT STEP…

Now you know what size your corn snake vivarium should be, it’s time to start looking for the right one. Amazon is a great place to start your search and we’ve picked out our top recommendations for baby and adult corn snakes to give you a head start.


We hope we’ve helped you get one step closer to choosing the right vivarium for your bearded dragon! For even more vivarium setup advice, take a look at our comprehensive corn snake setup guide or start shopping for your new vivarium on Amazon.

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